I-Corps: Robotic Optic Technologies for Adaptive, Dynamic Lighting Applications

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of an additive manufacturing-based robotic lighting technology for use in smart homes and buildings, smart lighting, Internet of Things, and building technologies. Currently, consumers are required to buy many lights, each placed in a single location, that do one thing.

This circumstance drives up the buying, design, installation, and energy costs for lighting devices. The proposed technology is designed to offer consumers the opportunity to replace multiple devices that perform one task with one device that rapidly performs many tasks through the use of a mobile application. Indoor and outdoor adaptive lighting systems using the proposed technology may support automated systems for lighting control.

The benefits of multi-purpose lighting systems also include safety, energy-savings and advanced ergonomic behavior to end-users. This project may advance current technologies for smart lighting and the development of more efficient, compact and adaptive lighting systems, ultimately saving space and energy, as well as reducing lighting design, manufacturing, installation and operations costs for spaces situated in contemporary urban settings.

This I-Corps project is based on the development of an automated, adaptive optic technology that allows for dynamic redirection and distribution of artificial lighting in interior and exterior spaces. The proposed technology is a 3D printing technology for producing optic filters that exhibit adaptive lighting behavior when integrated with light emitting diode (LED) technology, data sensing, and robotic motion control algorithms.

The proposed design combines research in materials science/engineering, robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Integrated lighting devices using the advanced optic behavior have demonstrated the ability to dynamically and efficiently control lighting properties such as direction, ambiance, and movement, functions which are not currently possible using existing smart lighting technologies.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.